Author: Vaibhav Tripathi

It is unusual for an ICC tournament to unfold without India and Pakistan being drawn against each other. At the junior level, that pattern has shifted in recent editions, but separation has only delayed the inevitable. Unscheduled yet unavoidable, destiny has reunited the two Asian heavyweights to reignite a rivalry shaped by decades. With more than half the tournament complete, the marquee clash finally takes centre stage at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. A great deal rests on the young shoulders of the 22 teenagers who will take the field for what is invariably a high-octane clash. History, and…

No rain, no wet field, no delays. After three rain-curtailed matches, India finally got to play a complete game at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo in the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup. Vihaan Malhotra’s maiden World Cup hundred and Abhigyan Kundu’s fluent 61 lifted India from 130/4 to 352/8, a total that proved more than sufficient as India registered a massive 204-run win over Zimbabwe in their first Super Six game. The Boys in Blue will take the field on February 1 against arch rivals Pakistan. Zimbabwe invited India to bat on a rare, bright, sunny day in Bulawayo.…

Venue: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo Date and Time: January 27, 01:00 PM IST Three rain-affected, truncated games, three wins – India remained unbeaten in the league phase. Before the start of the tournament, Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi were expected to set the tournament on fire. Three league games later, India have won all of them, remaining undefeated in the competition. The noteworthy point is that on all three occasions, India found different match-winners; it has not been Mhatre or Sooryavanshi. Henil Patel, Vihaan Malhotra, and RS Ambrish won the Player of the Match awards. While Mhatre and Sooryavanshi have…

India outplayed an under-prepared New Zealand in their third game by seven wickets in Bulawayo to remain unbeaten in the group stage of the ICC U-19 World Cup. They had already confirmed passage to the Super Six stage. RS Ambrish (4/29) and Henil Patel (3/23) shared seven wickets as New Zealand collapsed to 135. The Queens Sports Club pitch changed dramatically in the second innings and looked an absolute belter as India gunned down the target inside 14 overs. Ayush Mhatre, who was in desperate need of runs, top-scored with a 27-ball 53 batting at No. 3. A wet outfield…

Venue: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo Date and Time: January 24, 1:30 PM IST In less than 24 hours, India will play New Zealand again. Different levels, different teams and totally different conditions. The senior men’s team have dominated the near full-strength Kiwis in the 20-over format. Now, it’s the juniors’ turn. Although India haven’t played New Zealand at the Under-19 level for a long time, the Boys in Blue have been a force to be reckoned with in 50-over cricket since the last World Cup. Two wins in two games. With all the rain around in Zimbabwe, India will gladly…

Rain simplified the equation, leaving Bangladesh needing 75 runs from 70 balls. Their captain, Mohammad Azizul, was well set, but an unlikely saviour emerged for India with the ball in this Group B match of the ICC U-19 World Cup in Bulawayo. Vihaan Malhotra (4/14), supported by Khilan Patel (2/35), turned the game on its head with his part-time off-spin, to seal an 18-run victory under the DLS method. India had posted 238, with Abhigyan Kundu (80) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (72) leading the scoring. At the halfway mark, Kundu said he was pleased with the total the team had put…

Venue: Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo Date & Time: Saturday, January 17; 1:00 PM (IST) Victory. That is what matters at the end of the day for India. It was not entirely convincing, especially in the way they batted, but the team will be relieved to get two points on the board. To bundle out the USA for a paltry 107 after bowling in largely unfamiliar conditions at the Queens Sports Club was a commendable effort. Henil Patel made an early mark in the tournament with exceptional figures of 5 for 16 in seven overs. Others chipped in as well…

Top-order batter Aaron George is nursing a tennis elbow injury and remains doubtful for the remainder of the ongoing ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup. Captain Ayush Mhatre provided an update on the 19-year-old after he missed out on selection for the tournament opener against the USA. Eyebrows were raised when the playing XI was announced, with Aaron not included. “He (Aaron) is nursing a tennis elbow injury, which is why we rested him for this game,” Mhatre said in response to RevSportz’s query. India will play Bangladesh on January 17. With very little turnaround time, Aaron is all but ruled…

Long before rain lashed the pitch, a hurricane named Henil Patel tore through the USA’s batting at Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club. His five-wicket haul pinned the underdogs to a total of just 107. For India, the chase seemed a gentle cruise in comparison, but the USA bowlers gave themselves a chance by dismissing Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi early. A composed Abhigyan Kundu (42 not out) ensured India chased down the revised target of 96 with six wickets in hand via the DLS method and got the team off to a winning start in Group B of the ICC U-19…

Date and Time: January 15, 9:30 AM Local time, 1:30 PM IST Venue: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo As soon as the Indian players came out of the airport, they were welcomed by a traditional dance with music in the background. Soon, one of the members of the team joined the dance crew. It was all good fun. No players joined in, but their cameras were out, capturing the moments. Maybe they were saving some energy or creating memories. Good on them. From the day they arrived, the days have been occupied with work. Nets, drills, matches, repeat. This is a…